lockstep

noun

lock·​step ˈläk-ˌstep 

often attributive

1

: a mode of marching in step by a body of persons going one after another as closely as possible

2

: a standard method or procedure that is mindlessly adhered to or that minimizes individuality

see also:

in lockstep

Synonyms of lockstep

• routine
• grind

Examples of lockstep in a Sentence

followed the lockstep that had been in his family for generations: prep school, Ivy League university, job on Wall Street

Recent Examples on the Web

There is an art to stylizing a position of interrogation in excess of its biomechanics, an art to how lockstep beats a cadence while a unit swells into an enveloping arc. — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Airfares haven’t moved in lockstep with fuel prices, however. — Rio Yamat, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026

That's because mortgage rates don't move in lockstep with the federal funds rate. — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026

Oil and Treasury yields are moving in near lockstep, with the correlation at its strongest since 2019. — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1787, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing lockstep

• in lockstep

Rhymes for lockstep

• bicep
• doorstep
• footstep
• instep
• misstep
• sidestep
• cep
• hep
• pep
• prep
• rep
• sep

Kids Definition

lockstep

noun

lock·​step -ˌstep 

: a way of marching in step in which the marchers are very close one behind the other